1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for heating and cooking food. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement of the apparatus for heating and cooking food wherein the food is placed on a turntable in an oven chamber.
2. Description of the Background Art
A heating/cooking apparatus of the type including an oven chamber in which a turntable is turnably supported for heating and cooking a food placed thereon by irradiating microwaves toward the food while the turntable turns has been heretofore known.
FIG. 8 illustrates by way of example a conventional apparatus of the foregoing type. The apparatus includes a box-shaped case 1 in which an oven frame 2 is acommodated and supported, and an oven chamber 3 is formed inside of the oven frame 2. The oven frame 2 has an open front end openably and closeably attached to the frame 2 via a door 4. A ceiling plate 2a of the oven frame 2 is formed with a microwave output port 5 at a specific position. A microwave guide tube 6 is mounted on the ceiling plate 2a to communicate with the microwave output port 5. A magnetron 7 is disposed at the rear end 6a of the microwave guide tube 6 in such a manner that an antenna 7a of the magnetron 7 projects upward toward the interior of the microwave guide tube 6.
The oven frame 2 has a bottom plate 2b which is formed with a circular-dished recess 2c. A motor 8 is mounted below the bottom plate 2b at the central part of the recess 2c for turning a turntable 9. An output shaft 8a of the motor 8 is projected upward through the bottom plate 2b in the interior of the oven chamber 3. It should be noted that the upper end of the output shaft 8a is detachably connected to the turn dish 9 at the central part of the bottom of the latter. In addition, a plurality of rollers 10 are removably arranged between the bottom of the turntable 9 and the bottom plate 2b.
When a food W is to be heated and cooked by exciting the magnetron 7, the turntable 9 is turned at a slow speed together with the food W by the motor 8. At the same time, microwaves generated by the magnetron 7 are irradiated toward the food W in the oven chamber 3 via the microwave output port 5 so as to uniformly heat and cook the food W.
However, with the conventional apparatus as constructed in the above-described manner, it has been found that the apparatus has a problem that the bottom plate 2b can be cleaned only with much difficulties because the rollers 10 interposed between the turntable 9 and the bottom plate 2b obstruct a cleaning operation for cleaning the interior of the oven chamber 3. Another problem is that the rollers 10 themselves are expensive, whereby it is difficult to produce the apparatus at a low cost.